‘Skyfall,’ ‘Lincoln’ (Review Revue)

This week at the multiplex, James Bond is back with “Skyfall” starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, and Judi Dench. Steven Spielberg’s hotly anticipated biopic “Lincoln,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Honest Abe, opens in limited release. Find out what the critics have to say on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Skyfall”

Director Sam Mendes is best known for his portrayals of suburban malaise (his credits include “American Beauty” and “Revolutionary Road”), so at first blush he’d seem to be an odd choice to direct a James Bond movie. However, critics say “Skyfall” is a nearly perfect balance of drama and action that winks at 007′s storied cinematic past while delving deeper into the psyche of the most iconic of movie characters. Once again, Daniel Craig stars as 007, and this time the whole of MI6 is under attack. “Skyfall” is Certified Fresh at 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer; here are some of the reviews:

Fresh: “This is a full-blooded, joyous, intelligent celebration of a beloved cultural icon, with Daniel Craig taking full possession of a role he previously played unconvincingly.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Fresh: “This is a brilliant reboot of the canon, mixing a sense of melancholy, the shock of changing times and the darkness of loss with thrillingly staged chase and fight scenes and clever references to all that has come before.” — Charlie McCollum, San Jose Mercury News

Fresh: “‘Skyfall’ is the best of the Daniel Craig Bond films and surpasses just about every Bond film made in the past 43 years. Not only is this a great Bond movie, it’s a great film.” — Justin Craig, FoxNews.com

Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Rotten: “Mendes and [Cinematographer Roger] Deakins are so busy trying to be visionary that they don’t notice that characters are wandering too far from their roots, and half the time you can’t see what’s going on.” — Kyle Smith, New York Post

“Lincoln”

Abraham Lincoln’s greatness as a president is never questioned these days, though his iconic image (the beard, the top hat, the gaunt frame) is so ubiquitous as a patriotic symbol that it can sometimes obscure his words and deeds. Critics say Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” is a terrific corrective, thanks in large part to Daniel Day-Lewis’ towering performance as the Great Emancipator. “Lincoln” follows the 16th president’s political maneuverings during the dark days of the Civil War as he attempts to preserve the Union and abolish slavery. “Lincoln” is Certified Fresh at 94 percent; check out some of the reviews here:

Fresh: “By the time the movie ends, you don’t feel as if you know Lincoln — few, in his own time, claimed to know him. But you feel as if you know what it was like to be in his presence.” — David Edelstein, New York Magazine